“Every doorway, every intersection has a story.”
Katherine Dunn
The Gates of Old City and Purani Haveli, Hyderabad, India
Getting into the city of Hyderabad during the latter part of the 19th century was difficult. As difficult as my search for its Ashurkhanas in 2020! From the late 17th century through the mid-19th century, a protective wall around the Old City restricted travellers’ entry. Ensconced within was most of the royalty. Once they moved from the impregnable Golconda, it became important in that era to protect the city.
Wall? No Wall!
Constructed between the 1680s and 1861, spanning both Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi dynasties, this continuous wall was a granite structure. Thirteen gates (Darwaze, sin. Darwaza) and many windows (Khidkiyan, sin. Khidki) punctuated the 6-mile wall.
In 1908, the Great Musi Flood destroyed most of this beefy 8-feet thick wall and its gates. Remaining few fell to the apathy of the governments. Not all is lost though. Two of them still exist within the city encroached by other structures.
The Darwaze
Purana Pul (Old bridge), the oldest and the only surviving bridge on the Musi river after the Great Floods leads to the Purana Pul Darwaza, one of the two remaining gates of the old city. The gateway sits on a busy intersection and houses a small temple within it. The story goes that they built this gate and the bridge for the use of Prince Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah so he could go outside the city to meet his beloved, Bhagmati.
Dabeerpura Darwaza, the second gateway, was an entrance to the palace of the Nizam. The arched opening has octagonal bastions on either side, with battlements. They had placed a pair of arches one behind the other on the gateway. A serrated terrace parapet allows for positioning a gun or cannon to defend the city when needed.
Masarrat Mahal (Happiness Palace)
It is unlikely anyone will guide you to this palace if you ask by this name. Popular as Purani Haveli or Haveli Khadeem, both meaning old mansion, one can find it in the inner lanes of the Dabeerpura locality. A colossal complex with over ten buildings, Nawab Mir Azam Ali Khan built it in 1777 for his son, Nawab Sikander Jah.
Between 1803 and 1866, the palace lay vacant as Sikander Jah became Nizam and moved to the newer Chowmahalla Palace. The heir-apparent palace (Purani Haveli) saw the birth of Nawab Afzal-ud-Dowla, the fifth Nizam, and Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam. Both lived here for a considerable time. But it was the sixth Nizam who brought life back to the Purani Haveli.
H.E.H. The Nizam’s Museum
Writ large on the facade of this palace is 18th-century European architecture. The Haveli is three-sided, within a very large wall enclosure. As we enter, two towers on either side of the massive gate greet us.
Two long wings running parallel from these towers culminate in the middle where the residential palace is. Grandeur, dramatic columns, and blank walls showcase its neoclassical style.
The palace is out-of-bounds for photography and for general viewing. Though, you can experience Nizam’s way of life at the museum. The museum boasts the longest wardrobe in the world.
Recent restoration and beautification of this wing have brought history back to life for tourists and connoisseurs alike.
The Great Musi Flood of 1908!
Imagine if it happens today.
A scary thought, Vikas!